BRIDGEWATER – Rev. Natasha Stewart knew something was afoot Sunday when she saw the head was missing from a stone statue that usually sits in her Bridgewater church’s garden.

Stewart is the pastor at Trinity Episcopal Church in Bridgewater. A 3-foot-tall stone statue of Saint Francis of Assisi usually greets her when she pulls into the driveway of the Main Street church.

“It usually sits in our garden on the side of the church. He was face down on the handicap ramp. It looks like someone picked him up and threw him there,” she said.

Stewart’s suspicions came to a head when the search for the lost noggin came up empty.

“We couldn’t find his head anywhere,” she said. “Nothing else was out of place or broken or anything like that, it was just the statue. It was definitely moved. It had to go up over a rail to get there.”

In the Catholic faith, St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals and ecology. The statue was donated to the church last year.

“I would assume it was probably some kids doing what kids do, making mischief. That’s probably all it is. Not knowing where the head is, is a little disturbing and worrying but maybe they just took it as a souvenir, I don’t know,” she said laughing.

She reported the incident to Bridgewater Police who logged it as a case of vandalism.

“We just thought we should report it to police in case they had something like this happen somewhere else or if they found the head or something like that,” Stewart said.

Something similar did happen in 2012 when a 3-foot-tall statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was stolen off its pedestal from St. Ann’s church in Raynham.

Stewart said because the statue was donated to the church they would discuss replacing it this week. Until then they are hoping someone will return St. Francis’ head to the rest of his body.

“If anyone knows where the head is, if they could return it to the church that would be greatly appreciated,” she said.